Rich, that guy or gal has too many eyes. Looks like little glass beads in that second pic. Oh I know...It's a funky modern tiara ROTFL! She certainly poses well...she may actually have a shot at the next Americas Top Model ;-)

Your mystery fly is an Ichneumonid Wasp...commonly called a parasitic wasp. There are hundreds of species from nearly microscopic to 6". All lay their eggs onto the bodies of other insects (often caterpillars or sawfly larvae). The wasp larvae then eat the caterpillar alive! They are, in the big scheme, a beneficial insect.

I haven't seen these in my backyard; but, I have a dark blue black wasp which digs shallow tunnels. It stings caterpillars and slugs and flies them back home, presumably to be consumed by its young. Sometimes I watch them hunting or see them carrying big caterpillars or slugs twice their size back to their burrows.

Out west in the USA - we have a wasp of similar name who lays its eggs on bodies of tent caterpillars. You can see a light spot on the back of any infected caterpillars. It is a joyful thing to see those spots, for the tent caterpillars are beyond tolerable when it comes to garden pests. In 1987 - all our deciduous trees - yards and woods - were denuded by the caterpillars. Therefore, wasp spots are welcomed.

eje...I am sure your are right about the June bug...now that is one ugly bug that flys around here...and I hate the sounds they make too...as far as a barn spider, can't say I ever sew one, unless your talking about Daddy Long Legs...

It kind of tips some folks over if you remind them that in the end the "bugs" will win ("bugs" used this way includes bacteria, viruses, and fungi) - but that IS the way it is. In the meantime, we do best to enjoy all the gifts presented to us - which includes this opportunity to enjoy the hairy essence of a wolf spider!

Great photo - Bootandall - love the name! The photo reminds me of the bio lesson on how spiders eat - you have captured the act of probable injection of digestive enzymes through hollow mouth parts - reducing central body contents of prey to soup...which is then sucked up through the mouth parts of spider which act like straws. yummmy??? well - to the spider, it surely must be! ... and for anyone who has suffered a spider bite, the same thing applies. Spider was attempting to turn YOU into soup which it could suck through the straw!